To tell an alternative history of the east village... The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space

http://www.morusnyc.org/
Now fundraising, this museum will be based in the C Squat building and tell of the activists, squats, community gardens and creative battles that are part of the long radical history of the neighborhood.

Here's a tour I was part of recently:
http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/on-a-tour-of-former-squats-trash-artists-and-cat-poo-painters/

Art vs. the Machine

Houston and Ludlow, c. 2004, former parking lot.
Artist Richard Hambleton tells the story of two junkies, looking to break into the cars, who kept waiting for a lot attendant to leave so they could get on with their business. At daylight they realize, furiously, they'd been foiled by his "shadowman"...
There's a 24-floor luxury apartment building on the lot now.